[english]
Boston Trinity Academy‘s English courses seek to educate students to be great thinkers, readers, and writers. Reading traditional and contemporary masterworks provides an opportunity to engage with questions of character, virtue, and courage while simultaneously developing analytical reading and writing skills and encouraging a love of reading. Focus on the written word equips students with a mastery of language that enables them to articulate thoughts clearly and creatively. To learn to read thoughtfully and to write effectively is essential to personal growth. Thoughts that are properly articulated enhance an individual‘s ability to be understood in the classroom, in the market place, and in interpersonal relationships. Therefore, it is the goal of the English Department to encourage incisive thinking skills, develop proficient, clear, and logical writing skills, and deepen reading skills of all students.
Books for each class are carefully chosen to address age-appropriate issues of character, society, and morality as well as to encourage a love of reading. Great works of western civilization, diverse contemporary works, poetry, short stories, and plays are included. The canonof literature seeks to inspire students to explore and achieve in a world beyond that with which they are familiar.
In the middle school, each English class consists of two periods. Students develop strong reading and writing skills, develop a rich vocabulary, learn and review grammar concepts, practice editing, and interpret literature. Upper school students continue learning to read with insight, analyze difficult texts, and develop their voice as writers. The English curriculum culminates with Advanced Placement English Literature in grade eleven and Advanced Placement English Language and Composition in grade twelve.
[courses]
Foundations of Story-telling (Grade 6)
Students will read a variety of novels, short stories, and poetry. Students will be introduced to the basic elements of good story-telling — plot, theme, character, setting, conflict, and mood — and learn to incorporate these elements in their creative and analytical writing. Another focus of the course will be the fundamentals of language arts necessary for articulate and concise writing, including proper grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Foundations of Story-telling is required for grade six students.
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Discovering Literature I (Grade 7)
Students will be encouraged to love reading and writing as they sample a variety of fantasy and historical novels, short stories and poetry. They will review the basic elements of good-story telling and further develop the ability to recognize these elements in various literary works and to incorporate them into their own writing. Students will analyze the relationship of these elements as they examine the deeper meaning of the literature read. Students will also be taught to use and recognize literary devices in poetry. They will master paragraph writing and be introduced to three-paragraph essays. A continuing focus of this course is the fundamentals of language arts, including grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Discovering Literature I is required for grade seven students.
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Discovering Literature II (Grade 8)
Discovering Literature II is a continuation of Discovering Literature I. In this course, students will be introduced to literature that is rich in thematic content. They will continue learning the art of inference and discovering underlying meaning. Students will master the elements of good story-telling and become proficient in writing three-paragraph essays, with a thesis statement supported by at least three proofs from the text. Students will also be introduced to five-paragraph essays and will incorporate elements of good story -telling and the use of literary devices in their creative writing. Students will master foundational grammatical constructs and will be introduced to verbals, parallel construction, and the passive voice. A continuing focus of this course will be the fundamentals of language arts including grammar, spelling, and vocabulary. Discovering Literature II is required for grade eight students.
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Ancient & Modern Classics (Grade 9)
In this course, students will study a survey of the classics of ancient and modern literature. The reading begins with a study of the Greeks, including Homer and Sophocles, and continues through Shakespeare and Dickens to the study of modern British and American literature. The selected texts for the course include a variety of genres including poetry, essays, memoir, fiction, and drama. Ancient & Modern Classics is required for grade nine students.
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World Literature (Grade10)
World Literature encourages students to read at a deeper level and think critically about the texts and the environments from which they come. Some of the subject areas explored through readings, discussion, papers, and assignments will be the relationship between individual and environment, what is unique and what is universal, the concept of destiny or fate versus free will, responses to suffering, and the silence of God. The goal of this course is to help students to read, discuss, and analyze literature, as well as write boldly and argumentatively. World Literature is required for grade ten students.
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AP English Literature & Composition (Grade 11)
In this course, students will study American literature. Students begin their study with Emerson and Thoreau and continue into the twentieth century. Students study a variety of genres including essay, fiction, poetry, and drama and focus on discovering and understanding tone. Students discuss the text based upon close textual analysis and write weekly using a variety of methods. Students will be prepared to take the College Board AP English Literature and Composition examination in May. AP English Literature and Composition is required for grade eleven students.
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AP English Language & Composition (Grade 12)
AP English Language will focus on American Literature and further develop an understanding of period, genre, theme, structure, tone, and style. The course will provide a history of ideas as embodied in and transmitted by American literary works. Readings, lectures, discussions, and frequent writing assignments, including reflective and critical essays, and editorials are designed to increase comprehension, refine writing, and increase philosophical understanding. A continuing focus of this course will be the fundamentals of language arts including grammar and vocabulary. Students will be prepared to take the College Board AP English Language and Composition examination in May. AP English Language and Composition is required for grade twelve students.
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